With business travel projected to remain down by 85% and nearly half of U.S. hotel rooms expected to stay empty, airline employee travel specialist ID90 Travel is focusing on more than 2.5 million airline employees, who collectively make about 10 million trips annually, to help drive hotel revenue growth during off-peak periods. Since airline employees can often fly for free when seats are available, particularly during weekdays and off-peak times, they have the potential to offset the decrease in business travel by filling hotel rooms with high-spend, pre-qualified customers at key times in vital markets.
ID90 Travel, a global technology provider revolutionizing non-revenue travel for airline employees, enables these travelers to book over 700,000 trips to thousands of destinations every year.
Mike Stacy, CEO of ID90 Travel, stated, “In a period when hotels are eager to fill rooms vacated by business travelers, airline employees are increasingly using their travel benefits to visit destinations where their bookings can have a significant impact for hoteliers. This includes last-minute bookings, reservations during low-occupancy periods (such as Sunday and Monday nights), shorter booking windows, and cost-effective booking via mobile. The airline employees using our platform to book hotels worldwide represent a valuable, profitable customer base that can create tremendous upside for hoteliers – and the opportunity to engage them is now.”
According to ID90 Travel, millions of non-rev airline travelers who book lodging each year exhibit the following trends:
- Average stay of 2.1 nights, spending approximately $180 per night
- Predominantly book in short windows – 73% book within five days of check-in, and 43% book the same day
- Book via mobile devices (over 70%)
- Prefer traveling to cities hardest hit by the decline in business travel, such as Las Vegas, New York, Houston, and Chicago.
Jeff Jackson, General Partner at Thayer Ventures (an investor in ID90 Travel) and former CFO at Sabre Holdings, noted, “The potential for hotels to effectively reach the millions of airline travelers on non-revenue tickets each year is substantial, and ID90 Travel has paved the way to make this happen. The company’s disruptive online tools enable hotels to market their inventory more quickly and cost-effectively than any other online platform, creating not only satisfied airline employee travelers but also profitable hotel transactions. This area represents tremendous growth potential for both ID90 Travel and hoteliers globally.”
ID90 Travel’s hotel platform allows employees in the aviation and travel industries (along with family and friends) to search for and book travel at industry rates, delivering a consumer-grade experience. The company’s proprietary booking engine connects to multiple channels to secure the best rates, offering an average of 25% savings off retail prices.
The ID90 Travel Member Rewards program further rewards loyal customers, allowing them to earn and enjoy more of what they love—travel.
Great to see airline employees stepping in to support the hotel industry! This partnership is a smart move to fill vacant rooms and keep the travel ecosystem thriving
ID90 Travel’s initiative is a win-win! Airline employees get access to affordable travel options, and hotels benefit from increased occupancy. Perfect timing for both sectors
I didn’t realize how much impact airline employees could have on hotel recovery. Filling those off-peak rooms is a fantastic way to boost revenue for hotels
This shows the potential of creative partnerships in travel. ID90 Travel is making it easy for hotels to tap into a loyal, high-spend customer base when they need it most
Brilliant way to turn a challenge into an opportunity! ID90 is helping to fill rooms that would otherwise sit empty while giving airline employees the chance to explore more
Kudos to ID90 Travel! Using non-rev airline travelers to offset business travel loss is an innovative solution that benefits everyone involved
Hotels and airline employees both win here! Exciting to see the travel industry bouncing back with smart solutions like this one